July 06, 2012

The LaSalle Street financial district and a cluster of bungalows in the South Side neighborhood of Auburn Gresham have been recommended for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, state officials said Friday.

A news release follows:

SPRINGFIELD – Two historic districts in Chicago were among several properties recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places during the quarterly meeting of the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council June 29 in Springfield.

The Auburn Gresham Bungalow Historic District is one of several intact clusters of this ubiquitous building type that will be recognized in the National Register. Chicago is the home of literally thousands of brick bungalow’s that occupy a great swath of the city’s west and south side.

The West Loop LaSalle Street Historic District has long been recognized as the core of the city’s financial district, but the area will now be recognized for its historic value. The street has a number of noteworthy buildings that have previously been listed in the National Register individually. The new district takes in both sides of LaSalle Street from the Chicago River bridge at the north to the Chicago Board of Trade Building at the south.

The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council’s recommendations have been forwarded to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and Agency Director Amy Martin will forward the nominations with her concurrence to the National Park Service in Washington, DC for a final determination.

The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council is the body that votes on new National Register of Historic Places properties in Illinois. The council meets quarterly and is comprised of 15 members. There are at least three historians, three architectural historians or architects with a preservation background, and three archeologists on the council. The remaining six members must have a historic preservation interest and are drawn from supporting fields such as planning, law, local government, and historical geography. All members are appointed by the director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and approved by agency’s Board of Trustees.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Thousands of Illinois historic and prehistoric places have been designated and each year more places are added by applicants who want the prestige, financial benefits, and protections that National Register designation provides. Every one of the 102 Illinois counties has at least one property or historic district listed in the National Register. High-style mansions, vernacular houses, burial mounds, military aircraft, canals, and historic downtowns together represent a cross section of the Prairie State's history from its early settlement to the mid-20th century. In general, properties have to be more than 50 years old to be eligible. Listing on the National Register places no obligations on private property owners but does make properties eligible for some financial incentives. For more information on the National Register application process, visit http://www.illinoishistory.gov/PS/applynr.htm.

Posted at 02:36:37 PM

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